Canadian entertainment

Sousatzka captivates you as it takes you on an adventure from South Africa and Poland to England. It focuses on the story of a child protégé, Themba, and his piano teacher, Madame Sousatzka.

After his activist father gets arrested in South Africa, Themba and his mother escape and move to London. Once they are introduced to Madame Sousatzka, their families and friends meet, and they begin to exchange stories of struggle and survival.

After exploring design options for months, I am so excited to share Hot On The Street’s new look with you. Hot On The Street’s 7th anniversary is coming up in May and I think this makeover has been long overdue. My favourite feature of my blog’s new design is the Instagram feed in the footer.

I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the re-launch of my blog than a meet and greet with etalk co-hosts. I have admired Liz Trinnear since watching her win the Much VJ competition from the basement of my residence at Western. She studied MIT too and she really inspired me to pursue a career in entertainment.

Mighty Cruise Ships returns to the Discovery Channel tonight for its second season and I had a chance to chat with Executive Producer Karen McCairley. Find out more about the production process below and see which celebrity she wants to travel with in this special Q&A.

How does your show attract and engage with viewers (like myself) who have never been on a cruise?

Mighty Cruise Ships is the only show of its kind in the whole world. We take all the preconceived notions viewers like you may have about cruise ships and set the story straight!

It’s not all big buffets and cheesy lounge singers – we focus on what it takes for the hard working staff aboard each vessel to pull these trips off time and again. We pull back the curtain and focus on the big technology and navigational skill it takes to dock these ships in very interesting and oftentimes difficult ports. We spend time in the engine rooms, bridge, galleys and behind the scenes of the huge mainstage productions that happen aboard these ships.

Put it this way, even the people who work for the cruise lines are oftentimes blown away when they eventually see our shows.

After attending the White Cashmere fashion show, I was eager to learn more about Canadian fashion and meet the brains behind it. When Women of Influence announced they were ending their speaker series for the year with Kimberly Newport-Mimran, the President & Head Designer of Pink Tartan, I quickly bought a ticket. Prior to the event, I saw her on a poster at the eyeglasses store Josephson’s in Forest Hill, which solidified her position as a national style icon.

When I focus on seeing speakers from the fashion and media industries, the events tend to be worthwhile and this one was no exception. Charles the Butler was not there, but Susie Sheffman was!

In high school, I did a presentation for my media class (i.e. my favourite class) about alternative music and I spent lots of time trying to find an image of One Tree Hill’s Peyton Sawyer wearing a Tegan and Sara t-shirt. I don’t remember if that’s the show that introduced me to them, but regardless of how I discovered the Canadian twins, I’m glad I did.

I was relieved when I was finally able to buy a ticket to see them live in Toronto. Massey Hall turned out to be an incredible venue and I felt like I had the best seat in the house (on the aisle, in the third row of the first balcony). I swear I had a better view than when I’ve had floor seats at the Air Canada Centre.